Former Syrian parliamentarian, Mamoun Homsi, was arrested in 2001 and spent five years in prison. He was arrested in a crackdown on democracy forums that emerged shortly after President Bashar Assad came to power in 2000.

Today Homsi lives in exile in Lebanon with his family. He spends his days drafting petitions and letters to bring international attention the plight of Syrian reformists in jail.

This is his video letter to the next American President.

Dear Candidate from Clark Boyd on Vimeo.

Today on The World: The presidential election -- as seen by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan; also, how governments in other countries view the presidential candidates; and an update on the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Foreign policy has been an important issue in the U.S. presidential race. But how do U.S. troops on the front lines see the race? The World's Quil Lawrence speaks with troops in Afghanistan and Iraq about who they support in tomorrow's presidential election.

The World's Katy Clark reports on why the absentee voting system doesn't well work for members of the U.S. military and what might be done to fix it.

Professor Sandy Maisel
Host Lisa Mullins speaks to Sandy Maisel of Colby College. Professor Maisel has studied electoral systems around the globe and tells us that few countries are envious of how Americans choose their leaders.

In a nation rich in copper, gold, and diamonds there is still much misery, anarchy and violence. Now, the latest round of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has turned into a humanitarian catastrophe. Host Lisa Mullins gets an update from Erna Vangoor, who is in the eastern Congolese city of Goma for the humanitarian group Doctors without Borders.

War in Congo

Medical records are rare or non-existent in many parts of the developing world. Now, a global team of coders and doctors have created a free, downloadable computer based medical record system. The World's Clark Boyd reports.

You'd think that Europeans on the right side of the political spectrum would support the Republican candidate in the U.S. presidential election. But many support Barack Obama. The World's Gerry Hadden explains why that is.

Moises Naim
Lisa Mullins speaks with Moises Naim, Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy Magazine, about how governments in other countries view the presidential candidates.

The Latino vote in Central Florida is very much up for grabs. The World's Jason Margolis visited one street in Tampa. On the north side, they love Obama. On the south, not so much.